avoid the fiscal cliff and people's taxes going up or do nothing and let it happen. we didn't want to be in that position, but speaker boehner pulled out of the deal a week and a half ago. it's not fair to blame the president. >> but i've got to ago you this question because this is one f the big sticking points left. whose taxes go up, people making over $250,000 as the president wants or republicans suggested nobody or people making over a million dollars, but you, senator schumer, had proposed raising taxes only on those making over a million dollars. and i want to take a look at what you said about this proposal going up $250,000 last year. you said "in the eyes of many, it is hard to ask households making $250,000 or $300,000 a year. in large parts of the country, that kind of income does not get you a big home or lots of vacations or anything else that is associated with wealth. it also would affect too many small businesses." weren't you right back then when you said it would be wrong to raise taxes on those? >> we offered that to our republican colleagues two